A Wordier Wednesday Post ~ Jesus… the PERFECTER of my Faith {Day 2}

…fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart. ~ Hebrews 12:2-3

Fixing My Eyes on Jesus ...

Good morning, or is it ; yes it is, afternoon. I’ve spent the better part of last night and this morning working this post.

I know it’s Wordless Wednesday … but no day is complete without the WORD … so this Wednesday will be Wordy! 🙂 … so please bear with me … this is important, I believe.

As you probably know, from my ramblings, there are a few lady bloggers I follow regularly. I find from time to time that some I move on from; but there are a few whose delicate renderings of the heart just move me; move in me … transport me to the place in me that God wants repaired.

The precious words of these Wise and REAL women; walking out their salvation for all to see and share, help to keep me on my journey with God … with them.

We don’t do any of this alone. And I am blessed that these ladies allow me to hang on their skirt tails!

What got me yesterday was delicately placed within a blog post by one of my favorite photographer/writers at A Restless Heart.

Kelly said: “Only He knows what that looks like in today. Faith is His business, the growing of it, the deepening of it, the counting of it as our righteousness.”

How many times have I wondered “what’s wrong, is my faith not strong enough?” or “How can I increase my faith.” We’ve all had these thoughts or thoughts along these lines.

FAITH … Is the business of God!

I make faith; what I see as my faith, much too complicated. I’ve been proud and boastful of my faith. Yet it is not mine, really, is it?

The Bible says that if anyone has the faith the size of a mustard seed one can speak to a situation and change it … move it! ; and yes, that means EVERYONE … even the seemingly unsaved souls we encounter; and I say seemingly because until we offer ministry to a soul we know not their relationship with God.

Faith is SIMPLY BELIEVING God! That’s it … nothing more. We don’t need to expend the effort to grow or increase faith … God does that … WHEN WE BELIEVE HIM!

Now understand … this does not say believe IN Him. I can believe in a ladybug, while not believing the old adage that when I harm a ladybug my house will burn down! My mind is quite capable of believing in the existance of a Soverign God while not believing His promises are true … or for me {like I am the one person the book that has “Except” by my name!} … or for today.

I believe what God says is true … and He promises that He is the same yesterday, today and tomorrow!

I recently grasped the concept of my healing … I had not given this area over to God; and somehow did not realize it. I would pray for others to be healed and they would get well … but I was not recieving my healing. The healing I wanted was a reversal of obesity, and it was not reversing.

I thought I believed God at His word … but somehow, now, I think I was believing IN His word, rather than IN Him. I believed He promised this illusive healing, yet I wasn’t getting it, so I set about increasing my own faith. I was putting in the WORK of faith …

WORK is a fatal futility when the job is not mine to perform!

“Only He [GOD] knows what that [my faith] looks like in today. Faith is His business, the growing of it, the deepening of it, the counting of it as our righteousness.”

Romans 4:3-5 tells a story of Abraham, it states that Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to Him for righteousness. Now to him who works the wages are not counted as grace but as debt. But to him who does not work but believes God, who justifies the ungodly, his faith is accounted for righteousness.

I am not the author of my faith … I can not increase, grow or perfect my faith!

When I spend my time working my faith to come into something that is GRACE; I find myself in debt. I find myself borrowing an idea or concept of how to increase faith {and faith that is not mine does not work for me.}… the debt I find myself in is delayed receipt of the provision God has provided at the Atonement … at the moment of my salvation.

…that healing I want was provided by the Atonement! At the moment of my salvation … So, my salvation {and my healing} were not attained in 2002 when I awoke to God’s Love for me … rather it was attained 2011+ years ago on a cross at Calvary.

My faith is not something I produce. My faith is me believing God so strongly that I am willing to go and to endure whatever it is He requires of me. Abraham did this … Sara did this … Just read Hebrews 11! Each person in the Faith Hall of Fame went home to God without receiving what they believed God for. Yet they believed to the end; and it was accounted to them righteousness!

They simply believed what God said and did what He asked of them.

Jesus teaches that faith in IN God – it is not an ability to produce faith.

For whoever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world – FAITH. ~ Hebrews 11:4

Just one more thing … the Bible says that we do not battle against flesh and blood, but against powers and principalities.

I believe that in Hebrews 11:4 we can say that the world we overcome is not the literal world we lives, all the time, rather the belief system of that world. The belief that God does not heal us anymore, that the gifts and the promises of God are not for today …

So I gotta choose Christ … I believe God … not the principalities of this world we live in.

After all of this, Love, what do you believe?
Are you believing or believing in?

Related

Welcome, I'm Andrea ... HOPEannFAITH ...
I write and take pictures as a way of expression. These are gifts given by a loving and indulgent Father, to a headstrong and stubborn daughter, with much to say.
A semi-retired social worker/secretary, I now call myself a writer.
I've published one internet article and written many blog posts. However, publishing does not make one a writer, anymore than taking a box camera to the park makes one a photographer.
What makes one who and what they are? Well God for one ... formed me before the foundations of this world (Psalm 139); and many, many years after putting away my passion for wordsmithing and picture taking He gave it back ... in droves.
I am a culmination of my choices and experiences.
It is here that my experiences color the world in print and color. It is my goal to reach just one soul a day with love ... encouragement ... understanding or just letting that soul know that they are not alone where they are today.
This is about creating ~ all of it. Creating a HOLY and SACRED place where the ugly truth can be healed and the beauty of a moment or a tear can brighten a day for the experience.
Why HOPEannFAITH?
Hopeannfaith is my inner child, and she is maturing, as she should have done all along. She is learning all about how Faith fulfills Hope. She is learning how to live.
HOPEannFAITH ~ the wonder twins all wrapped up in one, me.
These are my Journey Journals ~ written and visual.
I welcome your company. I welcome your friendships.
My Journey is in the light ~ although I have and will share the shadowy corners and the dark ~ so you know that you are never alone there. If we hold hands in the dark, and we walk, side by side, through the shadow, we will reach the Light together. In relationship with one another and with the Light.
Blessings.

As I lie here unable to walk for 4 days looking for a way to generAte enough faith to believe Him God my Father faith to be heAled faith to get Gods Attention so he’d say
Look at my dAughter she deserves to be healed
And suddenly me
A minister
A community example
Couldn’t find that faith that I had exercised
For my charity so often
I didn’t have it for me….now
Your blog blessed me I’m glad I found i
Will release this healing to God
Pray for me
I will walk and find a deeper relationship with God …… Unearned.